Wire-twisting machine.



G. D. HENRY.

WIRE TWISTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY10.19|5.

Patented ,1.1.1913, 1916.

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IVVENTOR AHORA/Ey' GEORGE D. HENRY, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 SWIFT FLY SWATTER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION 0F MISSOURI.

WIRE-TWISTING MACHINE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented June i3, wie.

Application led May 10, 1915. Serial No. 27,175.

To all lwhom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gucoiien D. HENRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Twisting Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledV in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the gures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a wire twisting machine, and more particularly to a machine for twisting wire to form a handle, or the like; the principal object of the invention being to provide means for twisting strands of wire evenly so that the twisting is equal, as distinguished from one strand being twisted upon the other. A

The present embodiment of the invention is particularly adapted for twisting the wire strands of a handle having a triangular head, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide a holder for the head that will present the wire strands to a mandrel so that the strands may be properly grasped, which will hold the head during the twisting operation and automatically recede under the twisting thrust, and which will automatically eject the formed handle when the twisting has been completed.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure I is a perspective view of a wire twisting machine containing my improvements, showing a wire handle in the process of formation. Fig. II is an enlarged detail perspective of the head holder, with an untwisted handle in place prior to the closing of the holder. Fig. III is a longitudinal sectional View of the operative parts of the machine indicating its manner of use. Fig. IV is an enlarged detail perspective of the holder and mandrel, showing their relation Vto a partially twisted wire.

Referring more in detail to the drawings 1 designates a skeleton platform, which is supported at a suitable working height from a floor by legs 2, and supported at, one end of the platform is a longitudinal guide 3 comprlsing spaced angle irons 4 upon and within which a holder plate 5 is adapted for support and travel.

Fixed on the plate 5, adjacent the inner edge thereof, is a base 7 that supports a triangular head block 8, with the apex of the block pointed inwardly and arranged adjacent the inner edge of the plate 7; a rail 9 belng fixed to the plate 7. adjacent one edge of the block to form a channel 10 therebetween for receivin one of the wire strands of the handle', or Iike body, which is to be formed 1n the machine, and the edge of the block opposite the rail having an mout recess 11 for receiving a keeper lip on a cooperating handle member, presently described; and the said block being also provided with an upstanding post 12, which is preferably arranged adjacent the apex and 1s adapted for projection through a guide aperture in the other holder part.

Spaced rearwardly from the plate 7 and fixed to the slide 5 is a block 14, and hinged to the block and adapted for swinging between the forward edge thereof and the rear edge of the plate 7, is a head 15, which is adapted to seat on the slide between the block 14 and plate 7, and is of a thickness equal to the combined thickness of the plate 7 and head 8, so that when the head 15 is down its upper surface will be in a plane with the top of the block 14 and head 8.

The block 14 has a socket 16 in its forward edge within which is located a coil spring 17 that is adapted for engaging the rear edge of the head 15, when the latter is in operative position, in order to exert a tension on the head that will serve to lift the head when the latter is unrestrained, and extending transversely through the forward edge of the head is a groove 18 which is so arranged that when an unformed handle is seated in the holder, with its head portion in the groove 18, the leg strands will lie fiat on the top of the plate 7 and at opposite sides of the block 8, as presently described.

The block 15 carries a keeper comprising a strip 19 that is fixed to the block and eX- tends forwardly therefrom at such an angle that its depending side edge flange 20 will lie along and parallel with the socketed edge of the block 8; the body of the strip being of sufficient width to overlie a part of the block `8, and having a recess 21 in its inner edge through which the wire may be observed when the handle is placed in the holder, todetermine whether or not the wire is properly seated in its keeper.y

Extending inwardly from the lower edge of the side fiange 20 is a lip 22 that confines the wire in the keeper strip, and extending downwardly from the end of the strip adjacent the sideflange 20 is a tooth 23, which is adapted for properly guiding the wire or handle head and serves as a sharp edge against which the adjacent wire standabuts when the twisting operation starts, to insure the close initial twist. The body of the strip has lan aperture 24 in its forward end for receiving the guide post 12 on the block 8 to insure proper placing of the wire or head of the handle along the triangular block, and for bracing the strip while the wire is being twisted.

The mandrel which coperates with the holder just described, for effecting the twisting operation, comprises a shaft 26, which is revolubly mounted in bearings 27 on a plate 28 which is rigidly attached to the platform l and driven from gearing indicated by the pulley 29 and belt 30; an ordinary clutch 31, operable by a shipperlever 32,-being pro- .vided The end of the shaft 26 is preferably conical and has a transverse slot 33 therein terminating at the inner end in a socket 34.

The jaw for effecting the twisting of the wire comprises a head 35 having a flat shank 36 located within the slot 33 in the mandrel shaft and projected into the socket 34; the jaw being attached to the shaft by a pivot pin 38 that preferably extends through the cone lips 39 and through the body shank. The jaw is held in adjusted position by setscrews 40 which extend through the shaft 26 from opposite sides thereof and bearI against opposite edges of the jaw shank 3b, so that manipulation 0f the set-screws will turn the jaw on its pivotal mounting to center the axial alinement thereof with the point of the head block on the sliding holder. I also preferably provide the shaft with a set-screw 41 which extends at a right angle to the screws 40 and is adapted for bearing against the flat face of the jaw shank to bind the shank firmly against the face of the slot 33 and hold the jaw rigidly in position.

The jaw proper comprises lips 42 which project oppositely at the inner end of the shank and are curved to form the combined stop and slideways 43; the angle at which the lips extend corresponding to the angle of the head block 8, so that when a handle, or the like, is located in the head block, with the leg strands projected therefrom and the slide moved toward the mandrel, the jaw lips will engage the strands and when the engagement takes place will contact the for starting and stopping the mandrel.

-strands throughout the length ofthe lips 42, thereby forming a substantial bearing surface on the jaws that' willv tend to steady the strands during the twisting operation. In using the device, presuming the parts to be constructed and assembled as described, a body, such as the unformed handle, is placed in the hinged block and held by the keeper strip, so that when the block is moved down to the head block 8, one of the strands will lie along the socketed edge of the head block and the other in the channel between the head block and the rail 9; the post on the head block projecting through the socket in the keeper strip to properly position the strip and handle head. With the parts so arranged, the leg strands diverge from the end of the slide and form a point concentric with the mandrel jaw, so that when the slide is moved along its guide, the center of the head will be moved toward the center of the jaws, with the result that, when the slide is brought into close relation to the mandrel, the jaw lips will engage the wire strands and grip the same so that rotation of the mandrel will turn the wire strands and cause them vto twist about each other; the concentric arrangement of the holder and mandrel insuring an equal twist on both strands. As the twisting continues, the slide is forced backwardly along its guide so that the continued rotation of the mandrel feeds the wire strands through the jaw lips until one of the strands has passed out of contact with its lip.

When spring wire is used, release of one of the strands from its jaw lip allows the strand to spring outwardly and thereby throw the other strand from the opposite lip, this resiliency also tending to lift the holder plate; the lifting of the plate being supplemented by the spring 17 so that the plate is thrown up off of the head block 8, and the twisted handle automatically ejected from the holder. This automatic ejection facilitates the operation of the machine as it eliminates the necessity of removing the twisted handle; the operator being able to use his hands for feeding, without the necessity of cleaning the machine in order to make a place for a subsequent wire.

By mounting the mandrel body adj ustably in its shaft, the jaw may be centered relative .to the triangular holder so that when the I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. The combination with a jaw, of a work holder arranged to hold wire strands in centered relationto the jaw, one of said members being rotatable and the other freely movable longitudinally, whereby the jaw may grasp the strands simultaneously and twisting of thel wire may eifect feedin travel of the longitudinal member.

2. The combination with a jaw, of a work holder arranged to hold wire strands crossed in centered relation to the jaw, one of saidv members being rotatable and the other freely movable longitudinally, whereby the jaw may graspv the strands simultaneously and twisting of the wire may edect feeding travel of the longitudinal member.

3. rlfhe combination with a rotatable jaw, of a guide, and a work holder arranged for holding wire strands in centered relation to the jaw and freely movable in the guide, whereby the jaw may grasp the strands simultaneously and whereby the holder is movable in the guide by. twisting thrust from the strands. I

4. The combination with a wire holder comprising a head block, of a rotatable jaw arranged concentrically with the head block, and having opposed lips comprising gripping and slide surfaces arranged at such angle to each other that the aextended planesl .of the gripping and slide surfaces meet in advance of the jaw and in the extended axis thereof. l

` 5. The combination with a holder, of a rotatable shaft having a transverse slot in its free end, a jaw having a shank pivotally mounted in said slot, 'and adjusting members carried by the shaft and engaging opposite edges of the jaw shank.

6. The combination with a holder, of -a rotatable shaft having a slot in its free end, a jaw having a shank located in said slot, and set-screws carried by the shaft and eX- tended into the slot for engaging the shank, for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination with a holder, of a rotatable shaft having a -slot in its. free end,

a jaw having a shank located in said slot, and a set-screw carried by the shaft and engaging a flat face of the shank to bind the latter to the'shaft.

8. The combination with a head block, of

a rail spaced from-one edge ofthe block, a

wire holder movable toward and from the head, and a rotatable jw'in coperative relation to the head block.

9. The combination with a head block, of means at one edge of the block for holding a wire to the block, ak keeper movable toward and from the head block and 'compris ing means for retaining a wire atthe side of the head block opposite said rail, and a rotatable jaw in coperative relation to the head block. v

l0. The combination with a head block having a rail spaced from one end thereof to form a channel, of a wire holder movable toward and from the head block and comprising a keeper strip having a stop flange from the opposite edge of the head block, a

wire holder comprismg a strip having a depending edge ilange; the latter having an inturned supporting lip adapted for seating in the socket in said head flange when the parts are in coperative relation, and a rotatablev jaw in coperative relation to the head block.

12. The combination with a head block having an upstanding post, ofy means for confining a wire along the head block, a wire holder having an aperture for receiving the head block post, and having a stop flange and supporting lip for coperation with the wire retaining means on the head block, and a rotatable jaw in coperative relation to the head block.

13. The combination with' a head block, of a holder comprising a head movable toward and from the head block, and having an edge groove for holding a wire, a strip on the grooved head having av stop ange and supporting lip, and a rotatable jaw in coperative relation to the holder.

14. The combination with a head block, of a hinged head movable into and from the plane of the head block, means for yie1dingly urging the head out of alinement with the head block, means on the head for confining a wire to the head block, and a jaw in coperative relation to the head block.

15. The combination with a slide, of a v head block fixed on the slide and having a rail spaced from one edge to form a channel, ahead hingedly mounted-on ,the slide and movable into and from horizontad relation to thehead block; the forward edge of the hinged member having a transverse groove -for seating a wlre to posltlon one strand of the wire within the head block channel, means on the hinged member for supporting and confining the opposite strand of said wire, and a rotatable Jaw arranged concentrically to the block, and having 'opposed 

